Reconnecting
by SniperCT
Summary: After Blake calls out Yang's name during a nightmare, she has to spill the beans to her parents. Her dad suggests she try writing a letter to Yang. Whether or not Yang will actually write back is another thing entirely, but maybe it's better to have a firm answer than to wallow in misery forever. And when Yang receives the letter, several choices confront her.
1. Uncomfortable Questions

Blake felt the hand tighten around her throat, Adam close enough to feel his breath on her face. Cold terror made her limbs go numb and she wondered why she'd never seen this side of him before and if it had been there all along.

"Get your hands off of her!"

A blur of golden fire surged towards them, so fast that Blake couldn't warn her away. Adam dropped her and in a fluid motion swung his weapon out. It passed through Yang's neck with no resistance at all.

" _YANG!_ " Blake bolted upright, breathing heavily with sweat making her hair stick to her head and shoulder. She pressed her hand to her face, trying to fight back tears or the sobs that threatened to escape her clenched throat.

It was different every time. Sometimes it was Blake's head Adam removed, or her arm and Blake always wished that were so to spare Yang the suffering. Other times she had to lay there and watch as Adam stabbed at Yang or tortured her. Her imagination was terrible some nights.

Nightmares weren't uncommon for Blake. Even before the fall of Beacon, she'd had them. They weren't as bad as these. Usually fears over what the White Fang would do and a faceless shadow that she now understood to be Adam. Ruby could sleep through an Earthquake and if Weiss woke up she never said anything. In each their own ways it was a comfort. Ruby in her innocence and Weiss in respecting boundaries.

But Yang, Yang would lean over the edge of the bed and peer at her, hair like a radiant waterfall. More often than not she'd listen, or tell Blake a joke or something witty. A couple of times she'd wordlessly crawled into bed with Blake and held her and those nights she could never tell who was actually comforting who.

She threw back the covers of her bed, dressing in silence. She looked at herself in the mirror, twitching her ears as she made sure it wasn't obvious she'd been crying. For the first time since she'd let her ribbon blow away, she didn't catch herself trying to find it. Progress, and it buoyed her mood. She didn't have to hide who she was here, and she didn't have to anywhere else.

Her parents were already making breakfast and surprisingly Sun was helping. She eyed him suspiciously, then sighed and made to get the plates. At least this hadn't changed. They'd always preferred to make their own breakfast.

"Sweetheart," her mother said. "Who's Yang?"

Blake fumbled the plates and if it wasn't for her quick reflexes she would have dropped them.

"We heard you in your sleep." Her father put his arm around her but that only made her a little more tense.

"...she was my partner. At Beacon." Blake slipped away from her father to set the table. She didn't know if they'd watched the tournament or kept up on any of the news and braced herself for that. No matter how much she believed Yang, the world had seen what the world had seen. "She got hurt by Adam."

Even saying his name left a bad taste in her mouth. She hadn't really gone into detail about Adam's actions at Beacon before. "When the school fell, he was there. Leading the White Fang in the attack as they flew in Grimm. I found him killing a soldier, and he went after me."

Blake could see it clearly. Adam looming over her, his threats fresh in her ears. "Yang came to find me. She just… rushed in, not thinking about herself. It was like I was the only thing that mattered to her. But Adam is too strong, too fast." Blinking her eyes, she shook her head to clear the vivid image of Yang laying there. "I barely got us both out with our lives."

Kali shared a look with Ghira. "How badly was she hurt?"

It was both a testament to how much Yang had gotten to her and an annoyance that the first thought that occurred to Blake was to answer with 'she was disarmed.' Her lips twitched just a little, but she instead shook her head and replied. "Badly. But she's still alive. Recovering, I guess."

Ghira frowned, "You don't know?"

"She kind of left in a hurry," Sun offered, perching on a chair.

"I wanted to get away from her, for her own safety! It was dangerous around me. I got her hurt, I could have gotten her _killed_. You didn't hear Adam, Sun. He threatened everyone I loved. I had to leave her. Them."

"Does that mean-"

Blake's voice flatlined. "No, you're perfectly safe."

Sun's tail drooped, but he shrugged and picked up a fork.

"She's important to you." Kali came over, making her daughter sit at the table.

"Yes." Blake hadn't even realized just how much until it was much, much too late. "It's not important now."

"Why?"

She looked at her dad. "I abandoned her. I cost her so much, I couldn't stand the thought of looking at her and always knowing it was my fault." She hadn't wanted Yang to wake up and hate her. It was better if Yang hated her from a distance.

"Sounds selfish." Sun took a big bite of his breakfast and continued to talk with his mouth full. "Just saying. I mean you can tell yourself all you want that you ran away to protect her but it was mostly to protect yourself."

Hanging her head, Blake only shrugged. He was probably right. That wasn't the first time she'd thought about it and she missed Yang, Ruby and Weiss. "She was there for me and I couldn't be there for her. For any of them."

She smiled tightly, looking down at her food and not really feeling any appetite.

"What's she like?"

Blake started, glancing at her mom.

"Buxom. Like really curvaceous." Sun swerved his hands in an hourglass motion, with an emphasis on the top half and then yelped when Blake kicked him under the table. "What, it's true!"

"Sun! She's a lot more than that." Blake folded her arms, sinking into her chair as she glared at Sun. The worse part was he wasn't wrong but she was trying not to think about that. "She's...funny. She always makes me laugh. And she's got a huge heart. Yang never hesitates to help someone, and not just her sister or her team mates, but anyone who needs help. She was the only reason I actually went to that stupid dance."

Yang had been right, though, she'd needed a chance to unwind and refocus. Her parents exchanged another look and she was about to call them out on the look when her dad spoke. "Why don't you write her a letter?"

Surprised, she countered, "The CCT is still down."

"A real letter," Kali suggested. "It might take a few weeks to get to her with air travel so spotty, but maybe you could clear the air. You might sleep better for trying, at least."

"The worst that could happen is she ignores it." Sun reached over to touch Blake's arm. "Give it a shot. What could you lose?"

Blake thought it over, writing some letters in her head.

 _Dear Yang,_

 _I'm so sorry so sorry so sorry so sorry so sorry so sorry so sorry s_

 _Dear Yang,_

 _I'm writing to you from beautiful Mena_

 _Dear Yang,_

 _How are you doing? That's probably a stupid question. You lost your arm because of me and I left, you're probably miserable but I hope Weiss and Ruby are taking care of_

"I don't know." Blake pushed her plate away from her and got up. She wasn't hungry anymore. "I'm going to go train." She shot a look at Sun. "Alone."


	2. Lost & Found

The letter had arrived early Monday morning. Taiyang had noticed who it was from and was concerned. It was one of Yang's friends and he was pretty sure it was the one who'd taken off of her own accord. But then Ruby had left too and he didn't think Yang resented her for it. It was just that Yang was making it day by day, and he worried about another relapse. Weighing the various options, he ultimately left the letter for Yang to see. Like many things in their life, she had to make the decision for herself.

Yang saw it and let it sit there for three days. It took her half that time to combat the suddenly resurgent depression that made it difficult to actually care, and the rest of the time she had to work through a mixture of anger, guilt and other feelings that she'd tried very hard to forget.

Working with her dad always helped. The training helped remind her that she was alive, and her body responded better each day. Yang looked forward to getting out of bed more mornings than not. She might never be her old self again, but she could be a new self that she could respect and even like if she tried hard enough. But Blake's letter had reopened some wounds.

It was really late the third night, as she came down for a glass of water. The letter was still there where her dad had left it. It almost seemed to taunt her with Blake's familiar handwriting and a return address in Menagerie. Finally, she walked over, picked it up, and carried it to the trash bin. Yang hesitated, turning the letter over and over in her hands. Sighing, she opened it with her teeth. Tugging the paper out, she opened it up, a pensive expression on her face.

Dear Yang,

 _I hope this letter finds you well. I can't imagine what you've been going through. All I wanted to say just sounded like excuses. There's thirty crumpled balls of paper on my bed and each is more cringeworthy than the last. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for getting you hurt, and for leaving the way I did. But I had to leave. He didn't just hurt you, he threatened to destroy you. At first I thought it was so I could protect you, but I'm starting to realize that it was also to protect myself. And to put some distance between myself and everything. I guess you could say I ran home. But that's just more excuses, I know._

 _I'm in Menagerie, staying with my parents. Sun tagged along too, and don't ever tell him I said this but I'm glad I didn't have to travel alone. He's not our team, but he's still a good guy._

 _How is Ruby? And Weiss? I miss them. I miss you. It's okay if you don't reply or even forgive me. I just had to tell you I was sorry.  
_  
Blake

The letter trembled in Yang's hand before she crumpled it up and dropped it in the trash. Blake was sorry? She was _sorry_? Yang stared at the paper in the bin, then quickly reached down to pull it up. Putting it on the counter she smoothed it out, then stuck it back into the envelope and tucked that under her arm so she could pick up her glass of water. She didn't have the energy to be angry.

Getting comfortable in bed, she pulled the letter back out and something else fell out of the envelope. It was a picture, of Blake and two other Faunus that were clearly her parents. Blake looked… good. Her ribbon was gone, her ears free for the world to see and what she was wearing suited her. It didn't look like she was posing for the photo, caught in the act of laughing at something her father had said. The picture started to blur, so she flipped it over. On the back was a note.

 _Snuck this in when she wasn't looking, thought you might like it. Sun._

Yang's anger had mostly burned out months ago. Thinking back now, she hadn't even been all that angry. Not at Blake at least, not after a few days. She'd been angry at herself. At the man who'd hurt her and Blake. Beacon. Ozpin. Ruby and Weiss. Weiss's dad. Her dad. Ruby's bookcase which she still needed to repair. Ironwood. Herself again.

All those excuses Blake had left unsaid were probably things that Yang had tried to rationalize. It had been easier with Ruby and she'd pushed her away, in ways that she later realized had been wrongheaded. Now her sister was out there in danger and she didn't know if she'd get to apologize to her or even see her again.

Yang suddenly understood Blake's letter just a little bit better.

Placing the picture on her end table, Yang read the letter again, trying to smooth out the wrinkles as she did so. Blake really _was_ sorry. A few months ago Yang had felt like she'd been destroyed. It wasn't just the loss of her arm, either. She'd lost her confidence, she'd lost her team. She couldn't protect Blake or her sister, she couldn't protect Weiss. Yang had built herself up to be the protector, that had been her _thing_ and in two days it had all been torn down. First Mercury, and then Beacon and that man again. She'd learned his name was Adam. She _hated_ the name Adam.

It had all seemed so hopeless, and that was a dark feeling that could suffocate if she let it, and gosh did she let it choke her for so long.

Sudden resolve filled Yang. She got out of bed and sat at her desk. Writing was going to be difficult. She'd only really started practicing with her left hand a month ago and she was still working out some of the finer control of her prosthetic. Either way this would be an exercise. Looking at it that way actually helped motivate her and she decided that since she was already learning to rely on her left arm already that she should keep doing that. She could work on motor control tomorrow. As she started to write, she realized that using her own flesh and blood somehow felt like more direct contact with Blake.

She glanced at the picture again, and Blake's laughing face. There was no anger inside her. Something else was.


	3. Response

A reply seemed like an impossibility. Blake assumed she'd burned that bridge and that Yang would never want to hear from her again. It was a thought that hurt and yet she indulged in it as a sort of penance. Wallowing would be a better word for it.

The mail came while she was sparring. Sun made for a good partner if not the best one. He didn't always follow her moves or get into sync, but he was still a good fighter and they could keep each other safe. He just wasn't _Yang_.

"You've got a letter!"

Her mom's announcement made her lose her focus and she took Sun's staff to face. He froze, staring at her before approaching cautiously. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." Blake's aura had absorbed the impact, preventing a broken nose. But it had still hurt and still left a hell of a welt. She looked to her mom, then the letter in her hand. Ice laced her gut and she had to fight the urge to bolt. Bolt where, even? It wasn't like she could run anywhere else. She took the envelope from her mom, and jogged to her room to open it.

Her heart was pounding in her chest, her mind coming up with a dozen increasingly terrible scenarios as to what Yang had to say. Each was increasingly out of character for Yang but that didn't stop the anxiety from eating her up.

A picture fell out of the envelope when she opened it. It was of Yang, flexing with a metal arm that looked like it had come right out of Atlas. Blake started crying. Yang was smiling, even. It wasn't quite the cocksure grin Blake remembered, but it was a far cry from the darkness she'd seen on Yang's face the day she'd left.

Once she had her emotions under control, Blake picked up the letter itself. If Yang had included a picture, that was a good sign, right? Yang's handwriting was wobbly and that nearly made Blake lose her composure again.

 _Dear Blake,_

 _I'm glad you're safe. I was worried about you. A little mad at you at first but I haven't really been all that angry in a long time. When you left, it really hurt. It happened so quickly and I barely knew what had happened but then you were gone. Weiss is gone too, her dad took her back to Atlas. She never answered any of Ruby's letters and I tried writing her once or twice and got nothing back either._

 _Ruby left after the first snow. She wanted to track down the people who did all this, Cinder especially. I didn't really ask for any details, I was kind of in a funk at the time, but she left with Jaune, Nora and Ren so at least she's with people who can watch her back since I couldn't._

 _I wasn't really doing too good. My dad tried his hardest though. I was probably a real harpy. And by probably I mean I was. It's just that everything collapsed at once. Penny and Pyrrha died, you left, I lost my arm. Weiss and Ruby were gone. I failed you and I failed them._

 _The funk is still here, but I'm doing better every day. Dad is training me again, so I can figure out how to really use the arm Ironwood sent me. I don't wear it all the time. I don't want to. The only one who understands that is my Dad. It's my new normal. I hope you can understand that too. I feel like I'm rediscovering who I am every day._

 _I miss you too Blake. Don't worry, I forgave you months ago._

 _With love, Yang_

 _PS thank Sun for that picture for me_

More emotions flooded Blake than she really knew how to handle. Anger at herself. Relief that Yang was doing better. Sadness that she'd had to suffer through that at all alone. No, not alone. Yang had her dad, but she didn't have her _team_. And that was an important difference. Blake knew that teams often broke up and went their separate ways after graduating, but part of her had hoped that their team would be one of the exceptions. After so long trying not to get close, she'd come to think of them as a family.

She was going to have to write Weiss too. Maybe her letter could get through, but Blake had a bad feeling about that. She had a bad feeling about everything.

"Of course Ruby would try to save the world on her own." Blake dropped the letter in her lap, and picked up the picture again. She'd had two families. Her family here, and her family at Beacon. She'd been afraid her parents would hate her. And then she'd been afraid Yang and the others would. In both cases she'd been very wrong.

She tucked the picture into her jacket pocket and went in search of Sun. He was in the kitchen, fixing himself the kind of sandwich that gave Blake a heart attack just looking at it. "So what's this about a picture I sent Blake?"

Sun nearly dropped the entire plate, but recovered with grace and set it on the counter. "Oh. That. Well you were having a good time with your parents so I snapped a picture and then thought Yang might like it."

His eyes widened. "Oh no, she hated it. She hates you. I'm so sorry. She probably saw you smiling and-" Sun was cut off when Blake ran up to him and threw her arms around him. "...and okay she doesn't hate you?"

"No, she doesn't. Thank you."

A fond smile crossed Sun's face, and he hugged Blake back. "I'm so happy. Are you going to write her back?"

"I'll start something tonight." Blake pulled back, wiping at her eyes.

"Want me to take another picture of you?" Sun grinned at her.

That hadn't actually occurred to Blake, so she nodded. "Yeah, why not?"

After three more letters, they stopped coming. Every day, Yang would get the mail, but nothing from Blake. She didn't know what to think, only that she was worried. Their long-distance conversations had gotten better and more open and there was some kind of underlying energy between them that she was afraid to put a finger on.

Had she said too much in her last letter? Had something happened to Blake, to her family? It made Yang antsy. And when Yang was antsy her father took the brunt of it during sparring.

He held his hands up in surrender. "All right, Yang. Something is on your mind. Do you want to talk about it?"

Picking up a towel, Yang shrugged. "Just...haven't heard from Blake. It's been two weeks. I don't know if I said something wrong or if she's in trouble."

Taiyang gave his daughter a considering look. He knew that tone, he remembered that tone when he was her age. "You're probably ready."

"Ready for what?"

"To get back into the world." He placed his hand on her shoulder. "You were already one of the best fighters I've ever seen. You just needed the right kind of push and the training to adjust to your new normal. But you've _been_ ready. And you've been ready since before Blake's first letter."

Yang lifted her hand to touch her dad's. "So you're pushing the baby bird out of the nest?"

He gave her a playful shove. "Go out and fly."

It terrified her. But it also excited her. Yang could feel her heart beating in her chest for the first time in months. "I'm going to get Blake, and we're going to find Ruby and Weiss, and I'll bring them home. I promise."

Packing was easy enough. Yang didn't need more than a change of clothing, her weapons and her ammunition. Taiyang made sure she had the kit for her arm so she could maintain and repair it. It would have to remain on for an extended period of time and she'd have to get used to it whether she liked the idea or not. Maybe it would start to feel normal. Or at least a part of who she was now.

With her pack secure, Yang pulled open her front door and found herself staring into amber eyes.

Blake held her gaze, and also her breath, not sure how Yang would react to her being there. Letters and pictures were one thing. But actually standing in front of her was something entirely different. She'd been standing there for ten minutes working up the nerve and then there was Yang. Bigger than life. She should have known she wouldn't have to worry about Yang being angry, even if she had to fight to keep her ears from drooping.

Pulling Blake into a crushing hug, Yang had to fight off tears. "Gosh, I missed you so much." She'd been empty, so empty, but Blake had helped her center herself again and now she was _here_. "What are you doing here?!"

Suddenly suspended by the shoulders as Yang stared at her, Blake still managed a casual shrug. "I had to go home."

"But you were home."

"Now I am."

A little bit in shock, Yang set Blake down. "You're not home yet. Not until Ruby and Weiss are here." She was going to start crying and wouldn't that just be a mess?

Blake took Yang's hand, the metal one, and squeezed it. "Can it wait a day or two? I haven't slept in three days and eaten in two and I really missed you."

Bringing her other hand to Blake's face, Yang replied. "Okay. Maybe I could stand a bit more training now that I have my partner back."

"Tomorrow, Yang." Blake leaned in to hug her again. "What were you even doing?"

"I was going to look for you." Yang rested her chin on the top of Blake's head. "You stopped writing. I thought the worse."

"I wanted to surprise you. I probably should have thought that part through." Yang's hand was warm on her back and she was tired enough that she wasn't sure she'd even make it to a bed. "You were going to leave at night?"

"I was gonna go into town first, spend the night there. But...I was probably eager to get going and find you."

Something cleared their throat, and Blake pulled her head back to see Taiyang looking at them. Her ear twitched, and she bit her lip.

He just shook his head, expression softening. "You're gonna let bugs in."

"Sorry." Yang pulled Blake inside, then closed the door.


	4. Differences

Neither of them had felt comfortable with the idea of Blake staying in Ruby's room. It felt somehow wrong. Ruby would have been okay with it. Loved it even. But Blake didn't want to impose and Yang missed sharing a room. No matter how cramped it had gotten they'd been close and it meant she could protect them. Over the course of that year, she'd gotten used to the sound of other people breathing.

"How do you feel about it, really?" Blake was staring down at Yang's arm, where Yang had laid it on the desk while getting ready for bed. It was impressive looking, and streamlined, and very much Atlas tech. She still couldn't believe Ironwood had spent the time and money to have this made and sent to Yang. She wondered if Weiss had had anything to do with it, or if Ironwood had just felt guilty for his part in the fall of Beacon. Whatever the reason, it was here now.

"It's not me yet. I don't know if it'll ever be, but I've accepted that I have it, and that it helps me. And it's starting to feel natural. I never really expected that." Yang brushed her fingers through her hair, watching Blake while perched on the edge of her bed. "It means I can fight again."

"Yang." Blake came over. "There's more to life than fighting. I'm just figuring that out myself and I'm pretty sure you tried to tell that to me once. But you don't need anything but what I'm looking at right now to be able to fight. I think you could still kick anyone's butt."

"Thanks." And Yang meant it. Coming from someone who wasn't her dad, from one of her teammates, from _Blake_ in particular, it meant the world. "But I need to be at my best if we're going to find Ruby and Weiss. At least this way I won't be so easily disarmed."

Did she just…? Of course she did. Blake shook her head, her laugh sudden and a little freeing. "We'll see about that tomorrow."

Hearing Blake laugh again spread a warmth through Yang's chest. Watching Blake tug her shirt over her head spread a warmth to other parts of her body, including her face. Blake's bra was simple and black and Yang's eyes fell to Blake's stomach and her toned abs. They lingered on the scar where Adam had stabbed her. She felt a flash of old anger, and without thinking about it reached over to brush her hands across the white mark.

Blake's abs twitched at the contact, and she inhaled a sharp breath. Yang started to pull her hand away, but she grabbed it and held it against her skin. "No, it's okay. You just startled me."

Yang still remembered it, the sound of Blake crying out. And then she'd seen red and then she'd woken up alone. Yang traced her finger up and down the scar, before her hand moved across Blake's stomach and back again. There was probably a matching scar on Blake's back and Yang pulled Blake against her and nuzzled her forehead into her stomach. She probably should have asked first or something but then she felt Blake's hand in her hair and that compelled her to brush her lips against the scar. The fingers in her hair tightened and Yang's eyes fluttered closed. Blake was here, actually _here_. Half their team was together again and wounds could finally begin to heal.

Months apart and the sudden shock of being close to Yang again had broken through many of the barriers that Blake had tried to put up. A little bit of her remained wary and weary, expecting the White Fang or some other kind of attack on this peaceful part of Patch. She lost her train of thought, inhaling sharply at sensation of Yang touching her scar. It sent a spark shooting through her that was simultaneously wonderful and terrifying. She had a lot of bad memories associated with that scar and always felt guilty about the way she felt. It couldn't compare to Yang's loss. _Nothing_ could compare to Yang's loss. So why did her scar bother her like that? It wasn't fair to Yang.

The number of people who could get away with touching Yang's hair could be counted on one hand, which was lucky because she only had the one to count with and she didn't like using her toes. She opened her eyes and tilted her head back to look up at Blake, her eyes a darker shade of purple than usual. Yang knew that Blake needed to sleep, but she didn't want to let go of her. There were a lot of things she wanted. Another part of her new normal she'd learned to accept as she'd come to understand her feelings for Blake. When they'd exchanged letters, she'd started pouring her heart out in them, but she had kept that part to herself. Even now, she was reluctant, a part of her scared that it would make Blake bolt. A reasonable fear and yet one she felt guilty over.

A knock at the door made Blake jump, and in a half second she was under the covers behind Yang. Yang hadn't even seen her move and she started laughing.

On the other side of the door, she heard her dad, "Are you girls settled in?"

"We're fine, dad. Good night!" Yang got up and went to the door, pulling it open so she could give him a hug.

Under his breath, Taiyang asked, "Are you doing okay?"

"I'm… I'm great." Smiling, she closed the door. Blake's ears were sticking from under the blanket and Yang giggled. "It's safe to come out. Are you gonna sleep in that?"

"No, of course not." Blake lifted her head from the covers in time to see Yang peel her shirt off and toss it into the corner. She sank back under the blanket. At Beacon she'd always averted her eyes when the others changed. It was polite and the nice thing to do, and if she stared too long she might have had to answer uncomfortable questions that she hadn't been ready to think about. Being attracted to one's partner, well it _happened_ but she hadn't expected or wanted it to happen to her.

Yang fished around in her dresser, finding a nightshirt for herself and putting it on. She pulled out another one. "Got you a shirt, you don't have to sleep in your bra or au naturel."

Hoping it was safe, Blake sat up. It was, and she was strangely disappointed. She caught the shirt when Yang threw it to her. She ignored the _au naturel_ comment as she deftly changed under the covers. Yang crawled in with her and she scooted over. "Thanks. Are you really comfortable with this?"

"Yeah." Yang threaded an arm around her and buried her face in Blake's hair as they snuggled close. _You have no idea._

"Yang?"

"Yeah?"

Blake chewed on her lip. "I missed you so much. I'm so sorry." She moved her hand up Yang's back, not wanting her partner to pull away.

There was a big difference between talking it out in letters, and talking about it in person. Chest tightening, Yang pulled her closer. "I don't care how scared you are, I need you to stay. We can face everything together, we're no good apart."

At the crack in Yang's voice, Blake moved her head she she could look at her and repeated. "I'm sorry."

"I know." Yang pressed her forehead against Blake's. "Get some sleep, I've got to kick your butt tomorrow, we need to train again. A lot is… different."

"No, I.. I need to say this. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left you. I thought I did it to protect you, and I _did_ , but I also did it because I was scared, and because running is the only thing I know how to do when I get scared."

Yang sighed, pulling Blake closer. She smelled like the road, and a little bit like fish. "I forgive you. I was… really mad when I was actually feeling anything for awhile, but even then I knew I'd forgive you. But Blake, you can't run again." The fingers of her left hand dug into Blake's back. " _Please_. Trust me. Trust yourself."

"He said he'd destroy you." The words came out in a rush, and Blake's throat felt raw just saying them. "You, and everyone else I loved. That's why I ran. Because I know he's capable of it."

Everyone else she … Yang ignored that for now, and buried her face in Blake's hair. She didn't need to ask who "he" was or what he'd meant to Blake. She remembered after the fight with Mercury, the fear on Blake's face at the _idea_ that Yang had done that on purpose. Yang already wanted to kill him, and she was putting the pieces together about what kind of man Adam was and what he'd done to Blake. It made her want to kill him _more_. "We'll have to face him you know. Eventually. But we don't have to do it alone. We can kick his ass together. I'm not letting him hurt us again."

"We're going to need a lot of practice. We're both rusty and a lot has changed." The merits of not immediately leaving were clear to Blake. They had to find their balance before they could do anything else.

"Don't worry, Blakey. I've got a lot of free time."

Exhausted from travel and their conversation, Blake started to drift off. Yang stayed awake a little longer than her partner, stroking Blake's hair and back before kissing her forehead and trying to get some sleep too.

For the first time in months there were no nightmares.


	5. Sparring

Blake settled into a chair at the table in Yang's kitchen the next morning. There'd been an embarrassing incident walking in on Yang in the shower and she was trying to think about nearly anything else. Taiyang already had breakfast ready. Taiyang, who was Yang' s father. _I just saw your daughter wet and naked_ would probably not be the best conversation starter.

Oblivious, he set a plate in front of her. "Eat up!"

"Thank you." Blake picked up her fork, only to realize that she was being observed. Her ears fell back a little bit and she furrowed her brows at him. "Uhm."

Did he know? Maybe not about the shower, but about other things. Their feelings. That it was Blake's fault that Yang had been hurt.

"Yang's in a really weird place right now. Halfway between where she was and where she can be." He put a plate at Yang's seat. "But when you two started writing she just… kind of lit up."

Where exactly Taiyang was going with this was still open to debate, but Blake listened patiently.

"Look. I know what happens on a team when emotions like these run high." His shoulders sagged, and for a moment he looked as tired as Blake felt. "I know she can take care of herself and she prefers to be the one taking care of everyone... but...Take care of her for me, okay? I don't want to see her lose everything she's worked for again and I just know she's going to focus more on Ruby and you and your team and forget to take care of herself. She's a lot like Summer in that way." Raven might be Yang's blood mother, but Summer had been the one to raise her at first.

Blake suddenly found her eggs very interesting. "I never wanted her to get hurt."

"I know. But that _happens_ to hunters. That's why we need our team, our _family_ , to help us get through it. You can't stop people from getting hurt, but you _can_ help motivate them to keep going. That's what friends do. What partners do." Taiyang understood that better than most. After Summer had died, he'd shut down. It had put an undue burden on Yang to take care of her and her sister, but if Qrow hadn't stepped in on occasion all three of them might not have made it through that.

"Sometimes all we really need is something to give us a nudge," Blake admitted. Like Sun and her parents.

"A good kick in the pants can go a long way." Taiyang thought that these two had given each other a much needed kick. And given him one too. Taiyang knew Ruby was out there, but with Yang in the condition she was in he could only rely on his old partner to keep on eye on his youngest. He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept a full night without worrying about one or both of them. That probably wouldn't change much, especially with Yang so gung ho to leave again. Sometimes, Taiyang considered resigning from Signal Academy so he could join them.

"Hey guys!" Yang came into the kitchen, a towel around her shoulders and dropped into her chair "Oh that looks _egg_ cellent, thanks dad."

She was in the best mood she'd been in in months and too busy eating to notice the grin Taiyang and Blake shared.. Waking up to a cat faunus wrapped around her could do that to a person.

Taiyang glanced at Blake again, then walked over to put his hands on Yang's shoulders. "I've already eaten and I need to head into town to get a few things. Think you _adults_ can handle yourselves for the day?"

"We'll be fine old man." Yang gave him a thumbs up as he exited the kitchen. "Just going to kick Blake's butt all morning."

"You _think_." Blake retorted. She leaned her chin on her hand, watching Yang. This was the first time she'd seen her wearing the arm, and it seemed natural on her. She wondered if it was heavy, but didn't know if she was allowed to ask. Guilt once again made her stomach twist.

"What are you looking at?" Yang raised her eyebrows. "Didn't get enough of a look earlier?"

Blake choked on air and she resolved to wipe that grin from Yang's face. "That was an accident and I'm _sorry_."

"It's okay," Yang said, as she got up to wash her dish. It was next to impossible to resist ribbing Blake like this. "But you owe me a peek."

Rather than answer, Blake quickly worked on finishing her breakfast, her ears drooping and face heated. As much as it made her heart sing to see Yang in a good mood, she was going to make sure Yang ate those words.

Once the kitchen was cleaned up, Yang led Blake outside to the cleaning near the house. She spun around with her arms outstretched. "It's not Beacon's sparring ring, but it'll do!"

She grinned at Blake, only to feel the air shift behind her. Yang spun, deflecting a kick from her partner and fell into a defensive stance as Blake's double poofed away. A surge of adrenaline joined the giddiness she was feeling. She darted forward, swinging high and then sweeping low. Her dad was a good sparring partner and a fantastic teacher, but it was nothing like sparring her partner. It was like she'd found a missing piece of herself.

Surprise flashed on Blake's face before she adjusted to Yang's attack. Yang's style was a little different. Less reliant on her fists and her strength and Yang was already parrying more attacks than Blakd had ever seen her do in a single match before. Flipping out of the way, she left a duplicate behind. Yang smashed through it and Blake attacked from the side, a flurry of four punches that Yang blocked and a kick to the gut that sent her skidding back.

Laughing, Yang punched her fists together and then gestured for Blake to come at her again. She was having fun in a fight for the first time in ages. The biggest lesson that her dad had taught her since she'd started training again was that she'd leaned too heavily on her semblance, and was too easy to bait. He taught her to avoid hits when she didn't have to take them and to use the enemy's momentum against them. She'd subconsciously used what she remembered of her teammates' fighting styles combined with her own to find that balance her dad had repeatedly talked about.

Blake ran forward, but Yang didn't let her hits connect. She dodged and weaved, then grabbed her by the arm and flipped her through the air. Landing easily, Blake went over what had just happened and then shook her head in amazement. She straightened, and gestured for Yang to come at _her._

Gleefully taking the bait, Yang surged at Blake, swinging hard with a right hook. Blake grabbed her arm and they spun through the air. Yang landed hard on her back and Blake pounced on top of her, pinning her to the dirt and straddling her.

"You've got some new moves."

A long time ago, when they were first getting to know each other as a team, Blake had managed to pin Yang while sparring. Yang suddenly remembered exactly why she'd really liked that. "So do you."

Leaning down, Blake adjusted her grip on Yang's shoulders. Their noses were almost touching and her hair tickled Yang's cheeks. She was suddenly aware of the warmth between them, her skin starting to buzz and her breathing heavy from more than the exertion. "It feels good. Like we've connected again."

Yang's lips firmly met hers and Blake pressed down against her, returning the kiss with more fervor than she'd expected of herself. She squeezed her legs around Yang's hips and felt Yang's hands on her waist. One was a little rough from callouses, and the other was smooth. Blake moved her hands from Yang's shoulders, digging them into blonde hair and threading through the locks. Yang's left hand slid under her shirt and up her back, and Blake stiffened.

Yang's head was swimming, but she focused on Blake. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Blake forced herself to relax.

Yang frowned, searching Blake's eyes. "Are you sure?" It wouldn't matter how badly she'd wanted this, needed this, if Blake wasn't comfortable.

"If I'm not okay, I'll let you know." Blake leaned her head back down, kissing Yang soundly. It was aggressive and needy and she rocked her hips as the kiss deepened. Yang moaned into her mouth and the sound sent a shiver right down to her core. She broke the kiss, nuzzling at Yang's jaw until she was able to get access to her neck, kissing it lightly and then biting gently.

Yang shuddered underneath her. Her voice was strained and racey. "Blake, we're outside."

"You're nearest neighbor is miles away and your dad won't be back for hours." Blake sat up, looking down at Yang in astonishment. She'd never expected Yang to be shy. The pink on her cheeks was a cute look on her. "...lets take this inside." Getting up, she held out her hand to help Yang up.

"...Thanks." Yang took it, and then followed along as Blake tugged her inside. She barely got the door closed before Blake pushed her onto the couch. Her blush deepened as Blake straddled her lap. Yang looked up at her then pulled her head down and kissed her again, sliding her left hand under her shirt as she did so. The kiss didn't last quite as long as she wanted it to, but then Blake started biting her neck again and Blake's hands were wanderingup her sides and Yang figured she could live with that.

The sound of the doorknob rattling nearly sent Blake shooting to the ceiling. She positioned herself next to Yang, then panicked as she tried to straighten both her shirt and Yang's. Nothing could be done about their hair before Taiyang entered, and horror slowly mounted in Blake as Taiyang's eyes went right to the fresh hickey on Yang's neck. But he just raised his eyebrows and disappeared into the kitchen with his bags.

"That was close," Yang said in a thick voice, lifting her hand to her neck. Her dad had come home early. Just great.

"Dinner is going to be awkward."

"With him?" Yang asked, looking worried. "Or with...us?"

Blake shifted to her knees and sat back on her haunches, staring at Yang. Suddenly terrified, she asked, "Does it feel awkward with us?"

Yang shook her head. While she didn't know how they'd fight as partners now until it happened, that had been a concern even before this 'sparring' match. It was something they'd have to relearn either way. But it didn't feel awkward. "Only if we make it that way."

Leaning over, Blake wrapped her arms around Yang and rested her head on her shoulder. She didn't respond immediately, mulling over the sudden upheaval in their relationship, and everything that had happened in the past year. She knew that at any point, one or both of them could be hurt again. Or they could die. Blake had thought she'd known what love was. She thought that love was Adam. That he'd been good and had just changed under stress, when the potential monster had always been inside him and had shown itself in subtle ways from the very beginning that she still had trouble believing. Adam's love had been blood running cold, harsh words and harder hands.

But love was patience and understanding. Love was selfless sacrifice. Love was giving and not just taking. She'd wrestled with these feelings for so long and after kissing Yang it felt like she'd gotten over some kind of hurdle. If this was too fast, she didn't care. It was simply how she felt and before she could think better of it she said. "I love you."

Yang made a sound in the back of her throat. Warm tears pricked at her eyes and feelings that had been hovering just beneath the surface for weeks and months (and longer if she was honest with herself) flooded through her. She crushed Blake in a hug, unable to comprehend why three words could hit her so hard, and too emotional to get the words out herself.

Blake put her finger over Yang's lips. "It's okay. I know."

Shaking her head, Yang took a breath and choked back a sob, "I love you too."

Even though Blake had known that was what Yang had been trying to say, hearing the words meant more than she'd realized. She snuggled into Yang's chest as Yang's hand moved to her hair and started stroking. Blake felt tears watering at the corners of her eyes and she sighed deeply.

Relieved, Yang murmured, "And here I was worried this could have turned into a catastrophe."

"Yang." Blake sounded tired, and Yang giggled.

Despite the connection between them, something else still bothered Yang. She wrestled with bringing it up for several moments before she asked, "Blake?"

"Mmm?" Blake nuzzled her face into Yang again, and made a protesting sound when Yang gently pulled her head up.

"We need to go after the others. Ruby and Weiss. I keep thinking about it and I know I'm ready, and we're here...enjoying ourselves when they could be in danger."

"We should prepare better than you did when you were going to look for me," Blake pointed out. It felt like a role reversal, Blake the one making Yang slow down. "That'll take a couple of days and that doesn't include more training. We can start tomorrow."

Yang looked relieved. She hugged Blake again. "So can we kiss some more? You know, guilt free."

Blake didn't think they'd get much chance for this kind of thing once they left Patch and she fully intended to enjoy it while she could. "I can't think of anything else I want to do today."


	6. Trust

"That was the most awkward dinner I've ever had," Yang said, voice muffled by her hands over her face.

"I really wasn't expecting that kind of lecture. Or any kind of lecture," Blake admitted. The bed sank beneath her as she sat next to Yang and leaned against her. "I don't want to know how your dad knows so much about what two women can do in the bedroom. I didn't even know half that stuff."

"I have an idea," Yang thought made her shudder. "And I want to bleach my brain now." She was grateful that Ruby hadn't been present for that. Her sister would have probably gone catatonic. Which would have been kind of funny.

Tangling her fingers in Yang's hair, Blake started to massage at her scalp. "Let's pretend that never happened. We've got a busy few days to get ready and then it'll take at least a week to get to Mistral if we go by ship."

Groaning, Yang leaned into Blake's hand. "I really can't wait. I've been cooped up here for so long. But I'm also kind of… scared."

"Scared?"

Yang nodded. She put her hand over her chest. Admitting that she was scared wasn't easy. She'd barely talked about it with her dad. But Blake was her partner, and possibly something more. If they were going to reconnect, they needed to be honest with each other. "I've been stuck here for so long, I'm afraid that I won't be able to handle whatever is out there."

"That's nonsense. You can handle anything, and I'll be there to help you."

"Yeah…" Yang turned her head, meeting Blake's eyes. "I know it's stupid, and I know you'll be there. That doesn't change how I feel. I'm going to have to get over it and the only way that's happening is by doing it."

Blake was a little relieved that Yang hadn't called her out. Blake beat herself up enough about it. She had no intention of running, but she'd understand Yang being afraid of that happening again. She'd have to earn that trust back. "If we're lucky, in a few weeks Team RWBY will be reunited."

Wherever Ruby was, Yang hoped she was safe. Jaune and the others too. She had to trust in the four of them to protect each other since she'd failed. "Maybe we should look for Weiss first. Ruby has Ren and the others. Weiss doesn't have anyone and I don't think her dad has her back."

"When we pack and plan, we can figure that out." Blake got up, standing in front of Yang and putting her hands on her cheeks. "Do you remember how you told me that I need to make time for myself, to relax and rest and recharge?"

"Yeah?" Yang still had the laser pointer. She had been saving it for an opportune moment.

"You should take your own advice." Blake hooked her fingers under her shirt and pulled it off over her head. She was certain that Yang could hear how fast her heart was going and see the nerves that were etched onto her face.

Yang eyes followed Blake's shirt as it fluttered to the ground. Her heart started to pound and her fingers dug into the mattress as she turned her head back to Blake and tried to savor the view of Blake in just a bra.

She liked this confidence Blake had and honestly appreciated her taking the lead. She thought that going home might have helped Blake quite a bit. Despite that, Yang was nervous. She didn't want to assume where this was going and she didn't want to do something that would upset Blake. So she sat there like a tensed spring waiting permission to uncoil and decided it would really help if she actually said something.. "An Ursa could kill us tomorrow."

"Yeah it could."

"And I really don't want to die without knowing what you look like naked."

Blake laughed, hugging herself with one arm as her face darkened. "I really want to see you naked. Again."

"Are you sure walking in on my shower wasn't on purpose?" Yang flashed a grin at her as she jumped to her feet.

"It's my fondest memory." Blake deadpanned, swallowing hard as Yang stripped her own shirt off. She thought she might be getting a _new_ fondest memory. At least where this sort of thing was concerned. They didn't really need excuses, they were both adults. Adults who wanted each other, who knew each other and yet were still discovering each other. "We don't have to rationalize this, Yang. I really want this.."

"I know." Yang kicked her clothing off to the side and planted her fists on her hips. She looked more confident than she felt, but the expression on Blake's face could only be described as _hunger_ , and that buoyed Yang. She dropped her hands to her side and approached Blake. Gently, she put her arms around her. "Remember earlier?"

"Yeah?" Blake's skin was burning up and she hadn't even finished undressing. She carefully put her hands on Yang's back, and they started to inch downward.

"If we need to stop, we say so, okay?" Yang's voice betrayed her nervousness. She'd never done anything like this before with anyone and Blake's erotic fiction was turning out to be a lot different from reality. "I don't know if Adam ever-"

"No." Blake leaned up and kissed Yang. "Adam is _not_ a part of this, not this moment and not any moment between us. I'm _never_ letting him poison me or _us_ again."

She kissed Yang harder, pressing bodily into her as her hands roamed across the expanse of Yang's skin. The feel of her breasts beneath her palm and the warmth of her thighs was something for Blake to savor.

Yang responded, trying to get the rest of Blake's clothing off without breaking the kiss or skin contact. If Blake kept saying things like that, it was going to make Yang cry. She opened herself to Blake's kiss, shivering as her skin burned against Blake's. Blake's hand trailed down her arm, hesitating at where flesh turned to metal. Yang pulled her head back. "Do you want me to take it off?"

"I want what you want."

Trailing a finger in a circle around Blake's back, Yang thought about what she actually wanted. "I want to be with you as _me_ , but it's a part of me now. So I guess..."

Moving her hand down to Yang's, Blake threaded their fingers together, metal to skin. She brought the hand to her lips and kissed the knuckles. It smelled a little like oil and steel, but Blake had always associated those smells with Yang. It was a comfort that this hadn't changed, but she didn't think that would have affected how she felt about her if it had.

Sitting back down, Yang pulled Blake into her lap. Her nerves seemed to evaporate as she ran her left hand along the expanse of Blake's back. Little marks followed in the wake of her lips and teeth down Blake's jaw and throat and Yang felt Blake squeeze her hand as Blake shivered in her lap.

" _Yang_..." Blake's voice quivered, and Yang groaned when Blake's free hand stroked across her skin.

"Do you want me to-"

"If you say 'stop' I'm leaving."

That made Yang laugh, the sound reverbing through Blake's throat. Blake was trembling in her lap like a guitar string pulled taut and Yang's body was reacting in kind. Still, she hesitated, and Blake's fingers tugged at the hair on the back of her head.

"Yang, I trust you. Do you trust me?"

Yang searched Blake's eyes, and she nodded. "Yeah."

Blake pushed Yang onto her back, moving to straddle her. Smiling, she tickled her fingers up Yang's stomach. When Yang squirmed, Blake's smile turned wicked. Who knew Yang could look so adorable when she was turned on?

Laying down against Yang's right side, Blake trailed her fingers across her skin. The artificial hand at her back was warmer than she'd expected and Blake was surprised at herself when she realized it didn't bother her. If Yang had accepted it, she could. And accepting it made it a lot easier to focus on the hooded expression on Yang's face.

Just rolling a bit to the right let Yang touch Blake, flesh to flesh. Blake's hand left electric tingles in its wake and Yang ran hers down Blake's arm. "That feels nice…"

The air felt thick around them and as Blake's hand continued to drift ever lower, Yang started to explore Blake's skin in turn. Feeling suddenly overwhelmed, Blake started to cry. Before Yang could stop them, she surged against her, kissing her. She didn't want to stop, and she wasn't crying because she was scared or hurt or sad. This was what it was supposed to be like, and Blake had never felt happier.

It was almost too much. Yang had always been susceptible to other people's' emotions, and Blake's combined with her own was making her chest feel as though it were caught in a vice. So she started to cry too, just before she started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" A grin floated on Blake's lips as she gently brushed at Yang's hair.

"Nothing. It's just...look at us, we're a mess, and I'm just so… _happy_."

"You're _my_ mess," Blake assured her. She rolled onto her back, pulling Yang on top of her. The expression on the blonde's face was worth the effort. Yang looked torn between surprise, arousal, and nervousness.

The latter faded as Blake's arms threaded around her shoulders. Yang's eyes grew hooded again, and she leaned down, kissing Blake's jaw and trailing her lips along the line there. She murmured, "I don't know what I'm doing, but think I can figure it out."

Tilting her head back and moaning softly at Yang's touch, Blake closed her eyes. That sounded like life in general. Neither of them really knew what they were doing, but they could figure it out, and figure it out together.

Any other thoughts along that line evaporated as she felt gentle kisses move down her throat, soft hair tickling her skin. Blake tangled her fingers into Yang's hair and Yang paused, glancing up and meeting her eyes.

"Blake?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

Blake's eyes glimmered, and she stroked her hand down Yang's cheek. "I love you too."

She didn't think she'd ever get tired of those words.


End file.
